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[Ray Aberle]

Obviously at least 99.5%.

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I meant, which part of this thread is he referring to? The discussion regarding price fixing, etc, or the other parts actually addressing the OP's situation?

-Ray

[Tim Hite]

HEY! I don't want to be alone there!

Don't drop the Socapex. . .

But really, back to your OP. . . .

Research the show. . .

- "The sound sucked- I was near the stage and it was all distorted" could lead you to realize that the old provider didn't have Enough Rig For The Gig. Solution? Appropriate sized sound system for the venue and attendance. (City permitting record searches will help you both know the location as well as the expected attendance.) 

- Or, pictures of the show where there's only one tech on stage. Show was probably behind schedule, so quote out an extra A2 for the show, to fix that problem.

- Maybe there was power problems (breakers tripping) -- solution: they need a generator.

- Pictures of the show later in the evening, and the stage isn't lit. Solution: Sell them on a lighting package.

So in your case, once you have some ideas as to what they've had in the past, and where they could go for the future, you build a proposal and shoot it off to them. Be proactive- even if you don't have all of the details that you need right now, get the quote prepared and sent in.

. . .<lots of useful ideas>. . .

Again, since it sounds like this client doesn't know WHAT they want improved on, just that SOMETHING needs to be improved, you need to present them solutions, and possibly to problems they didn't even know they had.

-Ray

I'm working up a compelling email to reengage with couple of non-technical show scenarios to quote and make a pitch based on superior service and equipment over the tweeters with speakers and adequate volume and sound quality over bands bringing their own PA.

I've got the $1800 plan and the $5500 plan (damn price fixing).

Call to action will be to set up a meeting to help them better define their needs.

[Ray Aberle]

Don't be afraid to drop them a quick note in the US mail. Get some blank greeting cards (or use Send Out Cards) with a picture from a past event on the cover. "Hi person who should be giving me money, I'd love to re-connect with you about your series of upcoming shows (deets) -- here's my card again, I'd sure love a call so we can set up a meeting next week. Would next Friday at 10AM work for you?" Set a date that's a couple-3 days after they would receive your card. You don't want to get stuck in the "Idk, what day works good for you?" trap! (Unless you have a really tight schedule, the more open you can be, the better.)

I've said it before, and will say it again- with how prevalent email has become, using print to reach your prospects can be that thing that sets you apart from others in their mind!

-Ray

[David Allred]

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I meant, which part of this thread is he referring to? The discussion regarding price fixing, etc, or the other parts actually addressing the OP's situation?

-Ray

I know.  Just keeping it lite.  Either way, he said almost none was true.

[Ryan C. Davis]

Obviously at least 99.5%.

😂 😂😂

classic starting with Dick and ending with this. Just perfect.

[Kevin Maxwell]

I'm out here in a rural area in California, getting Bad Quail up and running. One of the cities in the valley is doing six community concerts outdoors this summer. I get introduced to the City Manager by some friends at a social function. He say that the city is really trying to up their production value for the shows this year and that their current guy isn't getting it done. They are actively seeking another sound option.

He then asked me how much do I charge to do sound.

I respond that I don't have a set price, because every show has different requirements, but I'd be happy to get in touch and find out what he wants to do and quote him a very competitive price for a great show.

We exchange contact information and go on our way.

Fat forward two weeks. . .

I'd called in a left a couple VM messages for the City Manager. A week later a woman from the city calls me while I'm out on a job and asks me how much it costs for me to do sound at the ir show. I spend about 15 minutes on the phone explaining that I need to know more about the gig, time, location, type of music etc so that I can put together a price for a sound system that will be a good fit. I go on to explain that every show is different and that I would be happy to work with them to make sure that they have quality sound at a price that everyone is happy with.

I ask her to email me anything about the show she can think of, bands they've used in the past, where they would like the show, anything at all, so I can start negotiating.

Woman from the city says OK maybe we will email you in a week or two. I offer to set up a meeting and come into their office to talk and she say no, that won't be necessary.

I feel like I somehow lost a negotiation with a client. Obviously they're not sure what they're doing, but I feel like I could have done something more to progress the sale.

I haven't done outside sales/client relations for audio in a long time. Obviously I'm a bit rusty in this department.

Any suggestions on what I could have done better here?

Any thoughts on a good client gig questionnaire? I searched the forums and web and found nothing. . .

Depending on what level they want to take these community concerts to will depend on the answers. I work with a sound company as a freelancer and we do a series of what I assume is the same type of concerts in the summer time. The acts are usually somewhat local we have done a few slightly bigger acts during these series. The place where it is held is always the same. They have a Show Mobile stage and we setup the same basic system for all of the acts. The town wants consistency. There have been a few shows that either we couldn’t cover it because they decided to start the series earlier in the season then that ever had, like last year. And we got a lot of comments as to how the sound was nowhere as good as when we do it. So they want consistency and quality. We have had acts come in where their groupies have come up to us and said “they never sounded so good”. And this type of quality is what the town wants.

Most of the acts are relatively easy to work with and the ones that aren’t don’t seem to realize that the fellow who books them sees this. He asks us about them and he never books those acts again. We did one act that at one time (a long time ago) had a number one hit. And they were actually really good and easy to work with. They have been booking tribute bands a lot lately. Some are better than others. Some acts need a few more monitor mixes then others but nothing too ridiculous. One act last year came with their own IEM rig and all of their own mics. We just took a split from them and it was a much easier night.

We don’t supply lights the Show Mobile has then and it is very basic. But the town is happy with what they have for lighting and we aren’t a lighting company anyway. We had them install a power disconnect for us a little bit after we started doing these shows. So that is consistent also.   

And I wrote all of that to basically say you need to understand what they have been doing and what they mean when they say “the city is really trying to up their production value for the shows this year”. We many times have a tendency to take things to a whole other level then the client has in mind. And at many of these town type of concert series they don’t really want it to cover as far and as loud as we may think it needs to be. The attendees that want it loud will usually sit closer to the stage and the ones that just want to hang around will sit towards the back. Our coverage area for these shows is about 250 feet from the stage to the back of the audience area. And it is quieter at the back but is still sounds pretty good back there. They used to do a few car shows in the parking lot at the same time as the concerts but they found that it became too much of a parking issue to have them both together so they moved the 3 to 4 car shows to the night before without a concert at the same time.   

[Mark Cadwallader]

MAP pricing seems to be in the price fixing arena.  I never understood the concept myself.
I know of a manufacturer (industrial) that will pull their lines from a rep that sells for less than exactly what they are told to sell it for, even though the manufacturer still gets their full wholesale price.

The deal with MAP stems from a US Supreme Court decision from 10 or more years ago (involving fancy handbags, IIRC). The upshot is that in addition to an MSRP, a manufacuter could lawfully set a MAP (minimum advertised price) without it being an anti-trust violation so long as each retailer could establish its own actual selling price. MAP represents a balance between the producer's interest in creating and marketing a high-end brand (Coach handbags), which have certain desireable non-price connotations, vs price fixing.  It was a fairly esoteric 
legal arguement based on the text of the Sherman Act (the federal legislation at issue), IIRC.

Disclaimer:  The above should not be construed as legal advice. I am not an anti-trust lawyer. Consult with your own legal advisor. The above may not represent the state of law outside the United States of America.

[Dennis Wiggins]

The terms:

Fixed price -
a phrase used to mean the price of a good or a service is not subject to bargaining. The term commonly indicates that an external agent, such as a merchant or the government, has set a price level, which may not be changed for individual sales.

MAP

Minimum Advertised Price is an agreement between suppliers and retailers stipulating the lowest price an item is allowed to be advertised at. If you've ever tried to shop around and keep nosing up against the same number, you may have just discovered that good's MAP.

Price-fix·ing -
ˈprīs ˌfiksiNG/
noun
The maintaining of prices at a certain level by agreement between competing sellers.

...

My point is: this discussion has wandered way off of the initial question, which concerned (I believe) how to "fix a price".  Notice that that phrase is not one of the 3 choices above.

Most participants have responded with help on how to "fix a price", such as Ray Aberle posts on his site, much like a menu at a restaurant.  That is why we are here.

-Dennis

[Tim Hite]

Depending on what level they want to take these community concerts to will depend on the answers. I work with a sound company as a freelancer and we do a series of what I assume is the same type of concerts in the summer time. The acts are usually somewhat local we have done a few slightly bigger acts during these series. The place where it is held is always the same. They have a Show Mobile stage and we setup the same basic system for all of the acts. The town wants consistency. There have been a few shows that either we couldn’t cover it because they decided to start the series earlier in the season then that ever had, like last year. And we got a lot of comments as to how the sound was nowhere as good as when we do it. So they want consistency and quality. We have had acts come in where their groupies have come up to us and said “they never sounded so good”. And this type of quality is what the town wants.

<snip. . .>

You've pretty much hit the nail on the head, right down to the disconnect they've already installed. I've already gone back in and talked to the principals and reopened negotiations. Consistency and quality is exactly how I'm pitching it right now.

[Jim McKeveny]

There's always the quick answer-- *I* personally am $400 to 450/day for an A1.

The true costs of labor are the most often ignored inputs. Also: define "day". 10 hours or 24?

[ProSoundWeb Community]